John Montagu, 4th earl of Sandwich, (born Nov. 13, 1718—died April 30, 1792, London, Eng.) British first lord of the Admiralty during the American Revolution (1776–81) and the man for whom the sandwich was named.

John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, oil painting after a portrait by John Zoffany in the National …

Courtesy of the National Portrait Gallery, London

Having succeeded his grandfather, Edward Montagu, the 3rd Earl, in 1729, he studied at Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge, and traveled abroad and then took his seat in the House of Lords in 1739. He served as postmaster general (1768–70) and secretary of state for the northern department (1763–65, 1770–71). In the latter capacity he took a leading part in the prosecution (1763) of John Wilkes, the British politician and agitator, whose friend he once had been, thereby earning the sobriquet of “Jemmy Twitcher,” after a treacherous character in John Gay’sBeggar’s Opera. He also was first lord of the Admiralty (1748–51, 1771–82). During the latter period his critics accused him of using the office to obtain bribes and to distribute political jobs. Although he was frequently attacked for corruption, his administrative ability has been recognized. However, during the American Revolutionary War he insisted upon keeping much of the British fleet in European waters because of the possibility of French attack, and he was subjected to considerable criticism for insufficient naval preparedness.

His interest in naval affairs and his promotion of exploration led the English explorer Captain James Cook to name the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii) after him in 1778. His Voyage Round the Mediterranean was published in 1799. In his private life Sandwich was a profligate gambler and rake. The sandwich was named after him in 1762 when he spent 24 hours at a gaming table without other food.

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...or other food placed between two slices of bread. Although this mode of consumption must be as old as meat and bread, the name was adopted only in the 18th century for John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, who had sliced meat and bread brought to him at the gaming table so that he could continue to play as he ate. His title lent the preparation cachet, and soon it was fashionable to serve...

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